Everything in today’s generation has gone digital. Texting and chatting to get to know other people are done with the use of messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber, Discord, and many more. With a lot of different features available in these messaging applications, some people still do not have what it takes to keep a conversation going with the person they like to talk to.
As a result, the conversations will end up being the lame, awkward, or worst-case scenario, gone for good. If you are one of those people who are anxious and struggling to keep a conversation, keep on reading! In this post, we will tell you five tips to keep that conversation going for days without getting awkward!
1. Do not be afraid to use emojis
Some people are afraid to use emojis when they are chatting with people whom they still haven’t met personally. It is because they do not know this person’s personality. They do not know how the other person would process their messages and they are afraid that emojis might be misinterpreted. On the safe side, they want to avoid using emojis as much as possible. But the thing is, the longer you avoid using emojis, the higher the chance that your conversation will get boring because you will not be able to express yourself better. Not to mention that emojis also add up in the mood of the conversation, whether you are joking or telling a scary story. Moreover, most people who are using messenger applications for the longest time prefer to talk to people who use emojis. As a tip, we recommend that you stick with the commonly used emojis like heart, happy, sad, angry, and fear emoji. Those emojis have less chance of being misinterpreted. These emojis are already enough for self-expression and are not susceptible to multiple interpretations.
2. Always ask open-ended questions
One of the main reasons for the end of the online conversation is because one of them is giving close-ended questions. For example, do not ask if he or she is done with his work, studies, or other stuff. It is because these types of questions can simply be answered by yes or no. Hence, your conversation will be dead especially if you can’t think of another topic instantly. Instead of asking those types of questions, we recommend that you ask them open-ended questions. Examples could be asking them for opinions about love, friendships, etc. Absolutely anything that sparks interest. It can also be about hobbies or movies. Ask them “What do you think of the show Squid Game?” or “What does the song mean to you?”. In this way, he or she will be interested in talking to you. In the long run, your conversation will be sustained. You can talk about one particular topic in a day so you will still have something to talk to for the next few days.
3. Do not approach during busy hours
If you want to have a meaningful conversation with someone, we do not recommend approaching them during busy hours. It can be the time you know they will be busy with work or studies. Instead, approach them at the time in the day when you know they are already about to go to bed. That is the best time that they can entertain messages. Not to mention that nighttime will add up to the feeling of loneliness a person can feel. Thus, they will have more drive to talk to someone else online. The meaningful conversation also mostly happens at night when the world seems to stop from the busy tasks and schedules.
4. Tell something about yourself
Sometimes, because of your goal to ask and ask questions about the other person, you will forget to tell something about yourself. If this happens, the one you are talking to will think that you are only wasting their time by getting so much information about them without giving yours. It’s like you are getting something from them but you are not willing to give something in return. So as a tip, once you have done asking the other person, it is also your responsibility to share your thoughts. For example, if they already elaborated thoughts on a particular movie, you should either agree or disagree and tell your reasons why. An extra tip is that you should have a balance between agreeing and disagreeing. The other person will also feel if you just want to please them by always agreeing on their thoughts.
5. Do not force for midnight talks
It is annoying if some people seem to force a conversation until it is up at midnight. You do not need to be talking to them until midnight if your topic and the mood of the conversation do not tell you to do so. If you feel like the conversation is slowly getting lame, it is already a sign to say goodbye. Do not worry because there are other days where you can approach them again. Forcing the conversation will only make you look desperate. Besides, it is better to have short conversations each day that is consistent and going rather than a long one that only happens once a week or month. Remember that your goal is to keep it going and not to force it. A long conversation can be a reason for it to become boring as hell.
In a Nutshell
The feeling of anxiety when talking to someone online is normal. It is because you do not see the other person whom you are talking to. You do not have the idea whether you are making the other person entertained. It can be somehow struggling to keep an online conversation going and sustain it for days and more. But if you are determined and you treasure your conversation with that special person, then you should follow these tips that we have given above. Remember: do not be afraid to express yourself, be open, and do not force the conversation to keep going.
